Can closing machine



Dec. 28, 19443. i MlNvAKER 2,338,047

CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 66 BB 'x Dec. 28, 1943. y H 1 MlNAKER 2,338,047

4 CAN CLOSING MACHINE" Filed Aug. 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mi 'ff/ww By M x @mf/ irren/ucr.:

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 2,338,047 CAN 'CLOSING MACHINE Herbert L. Minaker, Syracuse, N. Y., assigner to f Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,930

' (ci. 22e-sz) 7 Claims.

The present invention relatesto new anduseful improvementsA in a can closing machine, and more particularly to improvements in means for eliminating air from the head space lof a illled can prior to or at the time of closing the can.

An object of the present invention is to provide a can closing machine with means for passing steam across the head space of the filled can so as to eliminate air therefrom during relative movement between the can and the can endat the seaming station for placing the can and the can end in proper position preparatory to the seeming operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can closing machine of the above type wherein the supporting or centering plate is constructed and arranged so as to provide means for directing steam in one direction across the head space of the filled can for effectively driving out the air while the can and the can end are moved relative to one another at the seaming station pre-` paratory to the seaming operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can closing machine of the above type wherein high pressure steam is employed for completely driving out the air from the head space of the filled can and for heating up the head space and the top of the can so as to obtain the desired vacuum within the can when closed.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be here- Fig. 3 is a side sectional view taken substani tially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing the steam valve control mechanism.

It is to be clearly understood that the essential nism for feeding the can bodies and for elevating the can bodies at the seaming station may be of the type shown in the Warme Patent #1,307,888, dated June 24, 1919.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the supporting or centering plate l0 is suitably mounted on the frame of the machine and is provided with cover plates I i, l2 which are secured thereto by screws ila, 12a, or the like. The plate l2 has an opening i3 therethrough and this opening is located directly beneath the holder for the stack of can ends which are to bev delivered by gravity to a race or trackway it.

This race or trackway for the -can ends C extends from the opening beneath the stack holder to a seat I5 for the can end at the seaming station and beneath the seeming head. Each can end is moved from beneath the stack holder to the seat l5 at the seaming station by an arm i8 which rotates with the shaft il vertically carried within the sleeve ila on the supporting plate i0. As pointed out in the above-mentioned Bratt i; Fluck patent, the rotating arm it may be provided with an elevated end i8 which moves within the space lila between the sides of the race it and is adapted to overlie the edge oi the can end so as to hold the can end against the face oi the arm as it is moved along the trackway toward the seeming station. The trackway is disposed in part concentric with the center of movement of the arm IG and in part eccentric thereto, so that the can end gradually moves outwardly relative to the arm it during movement of the can end toward the seaming station. This shaping of the trackway is such as to iinally bring the can end to a position on the seat l5 at the seaming station, at which time the arm i0 can pass the edge of the seated can end. Further rotation of the arm it will bring the same into engagement with another can end beneath the stack holder.

The seaming head may, as indicated above, be of the type shown in the Warme` Patent #1,307,888, which includes conventional seeming rolls I9, 20, and a chuck 2| with which the seaming rolls cooperate during the seaming of the can end to the can body. There is also-provided a stripper pad 22 which is associated with the chuck 2i. The can body Bl may be fed to the can support 23 in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a. rotating drum conveyor of the type shown in the above-mentioned Warme patent,- and a guide 24 may be provided for properly locating the can body on the support 23. Beneath the seeming head, the supporting plate I0 is provided with a, tapered centering opening 25 which is located below the seat i5 for the can end. The surface or the centering opening 25 is for the purpose of centering the can body and for rounding up the upper end of the can body when it is elevated by upward movement of the support 23 prior to the seeming operation.

The upper surface of thelsupporting plate Il) is provided with a recessed portion extending around the opening therethrough beneath the seaming head. The supporting plate is also provided With a, slot 23 which may be milled or otherwise suitably formedv and which is disposed at one side of the opening beneath the seaming head. This slot 26 is illustrated as being arcuate and concentric with the center of the opening beneath the seeming head. .An annular ringshaped plate 21 is disposed within the recessed portion in the upper surface of the supporting plate I and extends around the opening beneath the seeming head. The seat i for the can ends is formed around this plate 21. The under surface of the annular plate 21 is provided with a plurality of radially directed slots 23 which form steam openings and which extend toward the opening beneath the seeming head. The outer edges oi the slots 28 are in communication with the slot 26 so that steam passing into the slot v26 will be directed inwardly7 across the opening beneath the seaming head.

An opening 29 is drilled through the supporting plate lil and is in communication with the arcuate slot 28. A steam supply pipe 3d is connected to the opening 22 by a suitable coupling 3|, and passage oi' steam through the pipe 30 is controlled by a suitable form of valve mechanism (not shown) within the valve housing 32. In order to control passage of steam from any suitable high pressure steam source, the valve mechanism within the valve housing 32 is operated by movement of a reciprocating plunger 33 which is normally urged outwardly by spring means so as to normally close the valve mechanism and shut off communication between the steam supply and the arcuate slot 2d.

The plunger 33 is actuated by a lever 34 for opening the valve mechanism and admitting steam to the slot it and the steam openings 23. The lever 34 is pivoted, as at 35, to a bracket 33 and is provided with a bearing surface lila which is adapted to contact with the irse end of the plunger 33. The lever 3d is provided with a stop shoulder 34o which cooperates with a part of the bracket 36 to limit outward movement of the lever away from the plunger 33.

An arm 31 is secured to the shaft i1 and to the sleeve |1a by bolts 38 or the like, and this larm is disposed beneath the supporting plate iii. The arm 31 extends radially from the shaft i1 toward the free end of the lever 34 which is provided with a roller 39. The free end of the arm 37 is provided with a cam surface 4D which is adapted to cooperate with the roller 33 on the lever 34 in a manner to be hereinafter fully pointed out.

As the arm IB engages the can end at the bottom of the stack beneath the opening I3, this can end is moved along the trackway i4 and is ultimately positioned on the seat I5 around the opening beneath the seeming head. The end I8 of the arm I6 can then pass by the seated can end and substantially at this point, the cam surface 40 on the arm 31 comes into engagement with the roller 39 on the free end of the lever 34. Further movement of the cam surface 40 with the arm 31, will tend to rock the lever 34 in a clockwise direction (as shown in Fig. 1) so as to force the plunger 33 inwardly of the valve housing by engagement between the surface 34a and the free end oi the plunger. This inward movement of the plunger 33 will effect opening of the valve mechanism so as to admit high pressure steam through the pipe 30 into the slot 2B.' The steam thus admitted to the slot 28 will gain access to the steam openings 28 which are disposed at one side of the opening beneath the seaming head and which form a steam distributor so that the steam will issue in jets across the space between the seated can end and the can body when substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The cam surface 40 on the arm 31. is constructed relative to the lever 34 and positioned on the shaft I1 in such a manner that the steam is admitted through the valve after the can end has been seated within the opening beneath the seeming head. Similarly, the construction oi Ithese parts and the timing thereof is such that the steam will issue from the parallel steam openings 28 during movement of the can body toward the seated can end preparatory to the seaming operation. Thus, the steam which issues from the substantially parallel Jets across the space between the can end and the can body, passes substantially as a blanket in one direction downwardly and across the head space of the filled can so as to effectively drive out all of the air present. As the can body approaches the seated can end, the cam surface 40 will pass the roller 39 on the lever 34 so as to permit the lever 34 to move in a counter-clockwise direction, thus closing the valve mechanism and shutting off the steam supply. Continued upward movement of the can body is effected in known manner so as to bring the can body and the can end into position for the seeming operation at the seaming head. The use of high pressure steam has been found to be advantageous in that it more com pletely sweeps out the air from the head space of the filled can by passing across the same at a relatively high velocity, and furthermore, in that it heats up the head space and the top of the can body so as to produce a higher vacuum when the steam condenses inside of the closed can.

While one form of the invention has been shown for' the purpose of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

i. ln a can closing machine in which a can end and a dlled can are adapted to be moved relative to one another at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seeming operation, the combination of a seat for the can end at the seaming station, feeding means for directing a can end to said seat, a steam supply conduit, means providing passages for dlrecting steam from said conduit below said seat across the head space of the filled can whereby to eliminate air therefrom. and means movable with said feeding means for controlling the passage of steam and being timed so as to direct steam across the head space of the iilled can between the can and the can end during relative movement therebetween preparatory to the seaming operation.

2. In a can closing machine in which a can end and a iilled can are adapted to be moved relative to one another at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seaming operation, the combination of a seat for the can end at the-seaming station, a feeding arm for directing a can end to said seat, a steam supply conduit, means providing passages disposed below said seat for directing steam from said conduit across the head spac'e of the filled can whereby to eliminate air therefrom, means for controlling the passage of steam through said conduit, and cam means movable with said feeding arm for actuating said steam control means and timed so asy to direct the steam' across the head space of the filled can between the-can and the can end during relative movement therebetween preparatory to the seaming operation,

3. In a can closing machine in which a can end and a lied can are adapted to be moved relative to one another at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seaming operation, the combination of a supporting plate having an opening therethrough at the seaming station, said supporting plate having a recessed portion extending around said opening and having a slot disposed at one side of said opening and upwardly communicating with the recessed portion, a ring member disposed in said recessed-portion around said opening and having a seat for the can end, said ring member having a plurality of substantially parallel grooves in the undersurface thereof extending from said slot inwardly and communicating with said opening and forming with the adjacent surface of said plate a plurality of substantially parallel passages for directing steam as a blanket in one direction across the head space o! the filled can whereby to eliminate air therefrom, and means for controlling the passage of steam through and passages and said controlling means being timed so as to permit the steam to be directed across the head space of the lled can between the can and the can end during relative movement therebetween preparatory to the seaming operation.

4. In a can closing machine in which a can to the seaming operation, the combination of al end and a filled can are adapted to be m'oved relative to one another at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seaming operation, the combination of a seat for the can end at the seaming station, feeding means for directing a can end to said seat, a steam supply conduit, means providing passages for directing steam from said conduit below said seat across the head space 'of the filled can whereby to eliminate air therefrom, valve means in said conduit for controlling the passage of steam therethrough, a lever for actuating said valve means, and cam means -movable with said feeding means for actuating said lever and timed so as to direct steam across thev head space of the illled can between the can and .the can end during relative movement therebetween preparatory to the seaming operation.

5. In a can closing machine in which a can end and a filled can are adapted to be moved relative to one another at the seaming station4 for properly positioning the same preparatory seat for the. can end at the seaming station, a rotatable shaft, a feeding arm rotatable with said shaft for directing a can end to said seat, a steam supply conduit, means providing passages for directing Steam from said conduit across the head space of the filled can whereby to eliminate air therefrom, valve means for controlling the passage of steam through said conduit and including a pivoted lever, and a cam arm rotatable in unison with said shaft and said feeding arm for actuating said lever and timed so as to permit the steam to be directed across the head space of the filled can between the can and the canA end during relative movement therebetween preparatory to the seaming operation.

6. In a can closing machine in which a can end and a illled can are adapted to be moved relative to one another at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seaming operation, the combination of a supporting plate having an opening therethrough at the seaming station and said supporting plate having a recessed portion on the upper face thereof and extending around said opening, said supporting plate also having an arcuate slot disposed at one side of said opening and communieating with said recessed portion, a ring member located in said recessed portion around said opening and having a seat for the can end, the bottom edge of said ring member and the adjacent edge of said supporting plate being shaped to provide a plurality of substantially parallel passages extending from. said arcuateslot to said opening, and conduit means for directing steam to said arcuate slot and through said passages whereby vthe steam will pass in Aone direction across the head space of the filled can in order to effect a blanket sweeping of air therefrom.

7. In a can closing machine in which a can end closure and an open topped lled can are adapted to be moved relative to one another in a vertical direction at the seaming station for properly positioning the same preparatory to the seaming operation, the combination of a supporting plate having an opening therethrough at the seaming station and a seat for a canend closure around said opening, said opening being shaped and dimensioned to permit movement upwardly therethrough of one can only during a can closing operation, said plate having a steam supply chamber at one side only of said opening and a plurality of substantially parallel steam discharge ports leading from said chamber to the opening for directing a. stream of steam between the can end closure and the open can top and in one direction only across the head space of the HERBERT L. MINAKER. 

